


Wait and Pray

by Lenny9987



Series: Living It Up at Lallybroch AU Series [3]
Category: Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-15 00:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5764240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lenny9987/pseuds/Lenny9987
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The circumstances surrounding headcanon!William's birth. Part of my Living It Up at Lallybroch AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wait and Pray

**Author's Note:**

> Another prompted ficlet from my Fanfic for the Holidays series on Tumblr. 
> 
> "A little writing prompt idea: going off of the lovely story you wrote for Gotham, how about a scene where Bree and Jamie are waiting on the new baby to be born what they would talk about/their reaction when they first meet the new baby."

Auntie Jenny wouldn’t let Brianna in the room when the time came. To be fair, she didn’t let Da in either, despite the fact that Mam said she didn’t mind one way or another. The midwife had sided with Auntie Jenny so Da had stayed in the hallway, fuming until the next time Mam cried out with the pains - then he’d punched the wall before turning to lean against it and sank to the floor, his legs reaching almost the full way across.

Brianna sank to the floor beside him, curling into his side each time Mam cried out as Da’s grip on her tightened. 

Brianna didn’t know how long they sat there on the floor but when Auntie Jenny left to fetch something from the kitchen and spotted the pair of them there she rolled her eyes and went on her way, returning with more boiled water and Uncle Ian.

“That’s it,” Uncle Ian declared, standing over them. “Ye might no be of use in there but setting on yer arse blocking the hall isna helpin’ anyone either.”

Da glared at Uncle Ian but before Da could open his mouth to respond, Uncle Ian had bent over. “If I have to fetch Murtagh to help me drag ye out o’ here, I will. Claire’s in good hands and things will happen in the Lord’s own time.”

Da sighed in a defeated way that left Brianna nervous. He loosened his hold on her and pushed himself to his feet, holding a hand out for her to take and pulling her up as well. “Come lass. Ye needn’t hear it either. If anything does happen…” But he didn’t finish the thought - or couldn’t bear to. 

Uncle Ian led the way down the stairs and across the large hall to Da’s study. Da ushered Brianna in ahead of him though Uncle Ian looked dubious. “Why do ye no go outside and play wi’ yer cousins, Bree? We’ll tell ye when the bairn arrives.” he suggested. 

She looked to Da, her eyes pleading. She wouldn’t be able to think of anything else until Mam was all right. The fear in Da’s eyes was more than she’d seen before and though she wasn’t sure why it was there, she knew there  _was_  a reason. She knew it took a lot to scare Da. 

“She can stay,” Da told her, settling into the chair behind his desk and leaning his head back. 

Brianna slipped around the desk to Da’s side. He wrapped an arm around her and lifted her onto his lap so she could rest her head against his shoulder.

“Jamie,” Uncle Ian said, shuffling to the side board where he poured a glass of whisky and brought it over to Da. “I know the worry ye’re feeling now well enough-”

“No, ye don’t, Ian,” Jamie interrupted but not with anger. “Ye’ll never know  _this_  worry. I wasna there the first time and I nearly lost her - for days, weeks I thought I had. Even when ye and Jenny lost wee Caitlin, ye had time wi’ her and there was little danger to Jenny - Claire saw to that. I never saw Faith. And since Brianna…”

“Aye,” Uncle Ian conceded, nudging the glass closer to Da who took it up and drained it fast. “Ye’re right. Claire’s history is a bit more troublesome. But she came through with Brianna here well enough and she will again this time, I’m sure. There’s naught ye can do but wait,” he took back the empty glass, “and pray.”

“I’ve no stopped praying since the pains started in the night,” Da muttered. “And I’m well aware there’s naught else I can do - that’s what makes it so… Ahh,” he groaned with frustration. 

“Whatever happens,” Murtagh’s voice came from the doorway, startling all three of them. “Whatever happens, ye’ll find a way through, lad. And Claire wouldna appreciate ye burying her afore her time. D’ye no remember how ye were when Bree here was born, and how she scolded ye?”

Brianna perked up at the mention of herself. “What did Da do when I was born?” she asked, looking to Murtagh for answers. They came from Da.

“I did nothing as bad as Murtagh makes it sound to be,” he said decidedly.

The looks exchanged my Uncle Ian and Murtagh suggested otherwise but they said nothing more. Brianna turned back to Da.

“Who’s Faith?”

Da swallowed hard before answering. “D’ye remember when wee Caitlin was born?”

Brianna had been young but she remembered the fear and the grief - Redcoats in the house and a funeral a few days later, her Auntie Jenny leaning against anyone who was near for a long while. None of the adults talked about it much but Jamie and Maggie sometimes did - they always reminded the others to bring pebbles for her when they visited the cemetery on the hill. 

Brianna nodded to Da.

“Well… before ye were born… ye had a sister who… passed… like yer cousin. She came too early and…” He looked to Brianna with sad eyes. “And she watched over you before ye were born and I’m sure she’s watching over Mam now.” He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes as she burrowed into his chest. 

She didn’t see Uncle Ian leave but she heard him go and knew Murtagh must have silently joined him. The light in the room faded as she stayed wrapped in Da’s arms, his fingers intermittently tapping against her back. 

“Are ye still in here, Jamie?” Auntie Jenny’s voice pierced the growing darkness. “Why’ve ye no lit a candle?”

Da had straightened up and Brianna with him. 

“Claire?”

“She’s resting,” Auntie Jenny said with a certain force as though she was loathe to let Da disturb that rest but knew it wasn’t her place. “She and yer wee laddie.”

Brianna slipped from Da’s lap and started to run for the stairs. Da’s stride was longer and he caught up to her quickly, grabbing her round the waist and carrying her with him, pausing before the closed door so he could knock.

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Jamie,” Auntie Jenny’s voice called from the bottom of the stairs. “She’s the one sent me te fetch ye. Go in.”

The midwife was wiping sweat from her brow as she stoked the fire.

“Thank you again,” Mam said quietly from her spot on the bed. She was half sitting, propped against pillows.

“Ye're welcome,” the midwife said with a smile, taking up a bundle of soiled linens with bits of straw sticking out. There were more stray strands scattered about the floor though it had been washed. She left the room and closed the door behind her, leaving the laird and his family to themselves. 

Da hurried to Mam who had her face tilted up ready for his kiss. After that, Da settled on the bed beside Mam, the set of his shoulders surer and the tone of his voice lighter. 

“Jenny said it’s a lad?”

“We have a son, yes,” Mam told him, shifting the little bundle in her arms and folding the edge of his wrappings away from his face. Da kept touching Mam - his hand rubbing her back and shoulders, his fingers brushing through her sweat dampened hair.

Brianna edged closer so she could see better. His face looked a bit smushed and he was wrinkly - smaller than she’d pictured given how large Mam had got. She reached out slowly, glancing back at Mam and Da to be sure she was allowed. She slid her fingertip down his cheek and watched his face scrunch more before his eyes peeked open and he blinked. 

“What’s his name?” she asked.

Mam and Da looked to one another and Da nodded to Mam. “We’re going to call him William,” she told Brianna.

“William,” Brianna addressed the exhausted bundle. He blinked again before sighing and drifting back to sleep.


End file.
